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New bar buzzing into 5 Points area

Sara Sanchez, El Paso Times
Published 5:00 p.m. MT Nov. 4, 2015

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The entry way of Love Buzz, a new bar in the 5 Points area of El Paso, is seen on Nov. 4.(Photo: Sara Sanchez/El Paso Times)Buy Photo

Love Buzz, located at 3011 Pershing, opened about two months ago and is establishing itself as a new night spot in the 5 Points area, complete with specialty cocktails, tacos and a mid-century modern feel.

The bar is co-owned by Eddie Cepeda and Austin Allen, who also co-own Mother of Pearl Vinyl on El Paso’s West Side.

Cepeda said that the idea for opening a bar in the 5 Points area first came when he would frequent other bars around the area, like Joe Vinny Bronson’s and the Pershing Inn. Love Buzz now stands where the Elbo Room was until it closed and the property remained vacant.

If you speed down Pershing, you might miss Love Buzz. The outside is unassuming and quiet, but as soon as you step inside you’re greeted by mid-century decor, a fully-stocked bar and an antique but fully-working jukebox.

The further you go in, the more you see. There’s a small, partially closed patio called the Elbow Room, which features the sign from the original Elbo Room. Keep walking and there’s a large outdoor patio with plenty of bench seating, as well as a food truck tucked away in a corner.

“We do tacos, like fried chicken, fried avocado, migas, not necessarily Mexican tacos, since there are so many already here. We thought we’d do a different take on it,” Cepeda said..

The 5 Points area is a mix of up-and-coming businesses and well-established restaurants and bars. The relative newcomers include Joe Vinny & Bronson’s on Piedras, which opened in 2011, as well as established locations like the Italian Kitchen, which has been open since 1948.

As more businesses move into the older neighborhood, there is always the risk of gentrification, and the risk of driving up rent prices for residences and businesses that have been around for longer. Cepeda sees right now as the right time for potential business owners to take advantage of low rent and minimal involvement from big developers.

“We’re seeing some of the effects of that already,” Cepeda said. “There was a certain price point that people were used to with certain bars in this area. Progress comes with its perks and its downsides.”
Cepeda says that in the first two months that they’ve been open, they’ve seen a good mix of people coming into the bar. He said he’s seen people in suits sitting next to hipsters, and that about 30 percent of people coming in are from the neighborhood.

“You can build as many shopping centers on the east side as you want, but there’s all these great buildings already here,” Cepeda said. “So that was our big focus. We kind of wanted to take a piece of El Paso history and kind of revamp it, give it a cleaning, if you will, and turn it into something new.”